Videoconferencing has become a common tool in both the business and home environment. In a videoconference, video cameras are used to allow participants at remote endpoints to view and hear each other. These video cameras generally have a limited viewing area and improper framing of the participants can occur if feedback to the participants is not provided. Without a method for alerting participants that they are partially out of the picture, participants must wait to be guided back into the picture by participants at other endpoints.
To solve this challenge, many video conferencing systems provide a “self-view,” where participants can see their own image. This self-view is often kept on screen in a small window, or picture-in-picture (PIP). The benefit is that participants can see what they look like at other endpoints of a videoconference. However, this PIP can have a negative effect of making participants self-conscious, being constantly reminded that they are on-camera.
Therefore, what is desired are systems and methods that overcome challenges found in the art, including a method for alerting participants in a videoconference that their image is improperly framed without continually displaying the participants' image.